Changing Contraceptive Usage Intentions: A Test of the Fishbein Model of Intention¹

The Fishbein criteria for changing contraceptive usage intentions was tested and the pattern of change agreed with Fishbeins suggestion and provided moderate support for the intention model and its application to intention change in health care settings.

Abstract

The Fishbein model of intention suggests that intention may change as a consequence of change in either a related attitudinal or normative component. This hypothesis was tested on intention to use contraceptives. Users and nonusers of contraceptives were exposed to a message designed to change contraceptive‐usage attitude, to a message directed toward changing the normative beliefs associated with using contraceptives, or to a no‐message control. The messages advocated one of three contraceptive techniques: (a) males were advised to use condoms, (b) males were advised to rely on their partner's use of oral contraceptives, or (c) females were advised to use oral contraceptives. Contraceptive‐usage intention changed only in the two conditions where the model's requirements for change were present. Thus, the pattern of change agreed with Fishbein's suggestions and provided moderate support for the intention model and its application to intention change in health care settings.